Many of Israel's signature dishes come from its Middle Eastern neighbors and immigrants.

Pita bread is delicious on its own and stuffed with falafel, schwarma, or schnitzel.

Eating bamba has been proven to reduce peanut allergies.

"Israeli food" is a multifaceted category that's still evolving. Its culinary influences range from neighboring countries in the Middle East to immigrants who brought their recipes from North Africa and Central Europe.

In between visiting holy sites associated with various religious traditions, hiking its many desert paths (a favorite national pastime), and floating in the famously salty Dead Sea it shares with Jordan, here are 20 foods that will help visitors sample all that Israel has to offer.

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Shakshouka

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This North African dish of eggs cooked in a spicy tomato sauce is a popular Israeli breakfast.

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Falafel (with the works)

Falafel balls made from ground chickpeas and stuffed into pita are a blank canvas for endless toppings. Fried eggplant, hot peppers, fries, pickles, caramelized onions — you name it, it's sure to be delicious.

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Freshly-baked pita bread

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If you play your cards right at outdoor markets like Jerusalem's Machane Yehudah, you can score a whole stack of steaming pita rounds for less than a dollar.

Rugelach

These sweet, sticky, chocolatey bites of rolled pastry dough are dangerously addictive. Marzipan Bakery in Jerusalem is especially reknown for its rugelach. Customers pack the stores on Friday afternoons to pick some up before the Sabbath begins at sundown.

Israeli wine

Sufganiyot

Gingerbread houses are to America as sufganiyot are to Israel. If you're there around the winter holidays, you can't miss the endless supply of filled doughnuts in celebration of the festival of Chanukah.

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Hamantaschen

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Another seasonal favorite are hamantaschen (called "oznei Haman" or "Haman's ears" in Hebrew). They're named for the antagonist in the Book of Esther read on the holiday of Purim. The triangular pastry can be filled with anything from poppy seeds to fruit preserves, even caramel or cheese.